The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

will that Vasudeva fight for the sake of the Pandavas?
O son, O Sanjaya, if he puts on his armour for the
sake of the Pandavas, there is none amongst us who
can be his antagonist. If the Kauravas happen
to vanquish the Pandavas, he, of the Vrishni race,
will then, for the sake of the latter, take up his
mighty weapon. And that tiger among men, that
mighty-armed one, slaying then all the kings in battle
as also the Kauravas, will give away the whole earth
to Kunti’s son. What car will advance in
battle against that car which has Hrishikesa for its
driver and Dhananjaya for its warrior? The Kurus
cannot, by any means, gain victory. Tell me,
then everything about how the battle took place.
Arjuna is Kesava’s life and Krishna is always
victory; in Krishna is always fame. In all the
worlds, Vibhatsu is invincible. In Kesava are
infinite merits in excess. The foolish Duryodhana,
who doth not know Krishna or Kesava, seems, through
Destiny, to have Death’s noose before him.
Alas, Duryodhana knows not Krishna of Dasarha’s
race and Arjuna the son of Pandu. These high-souled
ones are ancient gods. They are even Nara and
Narayana. On earth they are seen by men as; two
separate forms, though in reality they are both possessed
but by one soul. With the mind alone, that invincible
pair, of world-wide fame, can, if only they wish it,
destroy this host. Only, in consequence of their
humanity they do not wish it.[23] Like a change of
the Yuga, the death of Bhishma, O child, and the slaughter
of the high-souled Drona, overturn the senses.
Indeed, neither by Brahmacharya, nor by the study
of the Vedas, nor by (religious) rites, nor by weapons,
can any one prevent death. Hearing of the slaughter
of Bhishma and Drona, those heroes accomplished in
weapons, respected by all the worlds, and invincible
in battle, why O Sanjaya, do I yet live? In consequence
of the death of Bhishma and Drona, O Sanjaya, we will
henceforth have to live as dependants on that prosperity
beholding which in Yudhishthira we had before been
so jealous. Indeed, this destruction of the Kurus
hath come in consequence only of my acts. O Suta,
in killing these that are ripe for destruction, the
very straw becomes thunderbolt. That prosperity
is without end in this; world which Yudhishthira is
about to obtain—­Yudhishthira through whose
wrath both Bhishma and Drona have fallen. In
consequence of his very disposition, hath Righteousness
gone over to the side of Yudhishthira, while it is
hostile to my son. Alas, time, so cruel, that
hath now come for the destruction of all, cannot be
overcome. Things calculated in one way, O son,
even by men of intelligence, become otherwise through
Destiny. This is what I think. Therefore,
tell me everything that has taken place during the
progress of this unavoidable and dreadful calamity
productive of the most sorrowful reflection incapable
of being crossed over (by us).’”